


The Lonely Dragon: A Love Story

by mariothellama



Series: The dragon series [1]
Category: Football RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dragons, An enchanted lake, Dragon flight, Dream encounters, Falling In Love, Fantasy, Grief, Happy Ending, Hearts broken and mended again, M/M, Magic, Marco is a dragon for much of the story (but not all), Some humour, Telepathy, The tears of a dragon, True Love's Kiss, but true love overcomes all (like in every good fairytale), loss of a previous mate, maybe dragons aren't quite so fluffy after all, maybe there is an alternate ending to this story, non explicit sexual content in Chapter Two, quite a lot of cuddling and snuggling, some sadness (like every good fairytale), treasure
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-19
Updated: 2017-01-26
Packaged: 2018-09-18 15:54:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9392345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mariothellama/pseuds/mariothellama
Summary: Erik isn't a knight or even a squire. He has absolutely no interest in princesses or slaying dragons and Erik has even less interest in killing dragons once he meets the dragon and sees for himself just how magnificent and amazing he is. And astonishingly enough the dragon seems to find him interesting as well! But can their fairytale really have a happy ending?





	1. A pointless quest

**Author's Note:**

> This is kind of a companion piece to 'The Lonely Christmas Vampire: A Love Story': the vampire story was always for Marco and Mario; the dragon story for Marco and Erik. The dragon fic is a little bit more humorous than the vampire one and a little bit less melancholy!

Erik was in an extremely bad mood as he trudged up the steep hill to the dragon’s lair. The weather was warm and the stupid chainmail he was wearing felt far too hot and heavy. Erik was sweating profusely and he knew that his face would be embarrassingly pink by now. The sword at his side banged painfully against his knee with every step.

Erik wasn’t a knight. He wasn’t even a squire. He came from a simple village. But they had finally run out of knights and squires who were crazy enough to try and slay a dragon. So each village had been forced to nominate a volunteer. It was meant to be a great honour. If he was successful, he would win the undying gratitude of the king and the hand of the most beautiful princess in the land.

The problem was that Erik had absolutely no interest in winning the love of a princess. He didn’t even understand why anyone wanted to try and kill the dragon. As far as Erik knew the dragon had never harmed anyone in over a hundred years except for the knights who had tried to kill him. And it seemed a bit unfair to criticise a dragon for defending himself against idiots in armour wielding swords who were intent on trying to cut his head off.

Erik’s philosophy was very much live and let live. He was only here because his village had risked incurring the king’s wrath if they hadn’t found someone willing to volunteer for this pointless quest. Erik was only doing this to protect the people he loved and cared about. He had absolutely no intentions of killing the dragon, even if there had been the slightest chance of him being able to do so.

***

The dragon sighed as he gazed into the waters of the enchanted lake that could show him what was happening in the outside world. It had been a while since the last one had climbed the hill to try to kill him and the dragon had had the fleeting hope that maybe they had finally run out of knights and squires.

He really didn’t know why the humans were so hung up on dragon slaying. It seemed to be somehow built into their view of the world that kings had to send knights to slay dragons in order to find someone worthy of marrying their daughters. There surely had to be a better way for the humans to settle their romantic affairs. But no, dragon slaying seemed to be the best way to prove that you were suitable royal marriage material.

The dragon hadn’t actually killed any of the knights or squires. He usually watched in horrified fascination for a few moments as they swung their swords about fruitlessly before magicking them away to a formerly deserted island. The island was very pleasant, a perfect place to relax and enjoy yourself, but there was nothing interesting there for the knights and squires to attempt to kill so of course they hated it.

The dragon was sometimes amused at the idea of an island populated by swaggering and bickering knights with inflated egos and an overinflated sense of their own importance. The dragon hadn’t personally inspected the contents of their armour, but he was very much of the opinion that all of this posturing and sword waving was compensating for serious deficiencies in the armoured trouser department. He had the strong suspicion that the poor princess would have been soundly disappointed should any of the knights actually have been successful in winning her hand.

But this one seemed different. He wasn’t wearing the usual full tin can get up. He wasn’t brandishing a sword with bravado. He didn’t seem to be heading up the hill full of raging bloodlust and intent on dragon murder. If anything, he looked like he was in a seriously bad mood. And despite the sweat running down his face and the redness of his cheeks, he looked … well he looked interesting.

The dragon enlarged the image so that he could see the young man’s soft, almost fluffy, light brown hair, fine, regular handsome features and beautiful hazel eyes. This one was young, but definitely all grown up, as the dragon could tell from his slim but well-developed body. Hmm this could be interesting.

The dragon was already waiting at the mouth of his lair as the young man struggled over the crest of the hill, hot, sweaty and cursing, obviously in a foul mood. He stopped when he saw the dragon, his mouth falling open in a large ‘ooooooooh’ of surprise.

‘Who do we have here?’ asked the dragon. Well ‘thought’ would be a better way to put it for dragons communicate telepathically and the words kind of appeared in the young man’s mind.

To give him his due, the young man seemed to take this all in his stride and answered his question really quite sensibly: ‘I’m Erik.’

While the dragon was rather impressed with Erik’s answer, Erik himself was kicking himself at his own stupidity. The truth was that seeing the dragon had completely taken his breath away. The dragon stood about two and a half times as tall as Erik. His massive wings were folded round him but Erik could just imagine how magnificent he would be in full flight. His legs and body were solid and obviously incredibly strong, but delicately shaped and intricately sculpted.

The dragon seemed to shimmer in the sunlight, his scales glowing dark gold with a tinge of red. But the dragon’s eyes were what really hypnotised Erik as they shone like multi-faceted jewels, glittering prisms that reflected the light in every imaginable hue of amber, dark gold and green.

Erik felt as if he could happily drown looking deep into those eyes, eyes that were rich and fascinating not only in their beauty, but also because of the age, wisdom, humour and even pain he saw there. And something in those eyes made Erik think that it might be worth not just giving up and accepting his fate.

‘Look dragon. Even if I could, I have absolutely no interest in killing you. I don’t understand why anyone would want to kill such a magnificent creature as you.’

The dragon preened himself a little at the thought of Erik calling him magnificent. But his eyes softened as Erik went on.

‘I know that you are probably going to kill me. And that’s OK. Well it’s not really OK, but I am willing to sacrifice myself to save my family, my friends and my village. Not from you of course, that’s the irony of this whole pointless quest business, but from the king. We had to find a volunteer and I’m it. I’m old enough to qualify as a potential dragon slayer, but I don’t yet have a wife or children of my own to leave widowed or orphaned.

But I have to ask if there maybe isn’t some way that we can find a compromise that doesn’t involve one of us killing the other. Which obviously means you killing me because I would be rubbish at slaying dragons, even if I wanted to. It’s not even really for me, but my parents and my sister would be most grateful if we could somehow find a way to avoid you needing to kill me.’

Now the dragon knew that he had been right. This one was different. He was not here seeking fame or glory for himself, he was here for other people, for the people he cared about. And he seemed to actually be rather reasonable and intelligent. There was no way that he could banish this one to the same island as all the vain and stupid knights; that would just be too cruel.

‘Can I let you into a secret, Erik?’ asked the dragon conspiratorially.

Erik nodded. None of this was what he had expected, but he was quite prepared to play along and see where it led.

‘I haven’t actually killed any of those knights. I’ve sent them all to an island where they can try and out-knight each other with their arrogance and high opinions of themselves. And I don’t think it would be fair to subject you to that.’

And Erik did the one thing he hadn’t expected to do today, he laughed. Laughed until he was almost crying at the image of an island full of knights with no one to annoy except for other knights. The dragon joined in and the sound of the dragon laughing in his mind was like a peal of melodious bells in his head.

Finally Erik managed to choke out, ‘Please dragon, please don’t send me there. I’d almost rather that you burnt me to a crisp or bit my head off.’

‘Oh no, Erik,’ the dragon’s voice sounded almost sensuous and tempting in Erik’s mind, ‘I would never damage something as lovely as you are. I think I’ll keep you for a while if that’s alright with you. Come along now!’

With that the dragon turned round, padding off softly down the dark passage into the inner recesses of his lair. Erik shrugged before setting off behind him, not really sure why he was following the dragon. But given that he had fully expected to be charred to a dragon crisp by about now, this day was already working out much better than he had thought it would when he got up this morning. And Erik wasn’t at all interested in princesses or killing dragons, but he was most definitely interested in having an adventure.

***

The passage opened out into the most beautiful cavern that Erik had ever seen. The roof and walls glittered with rocks that glinted like jewels. Something luminescent lined the walls that made it almost as bright inside the cavern as it had been in the sunlight outside. The sand on the floor was so soft and warm that it felt like tiny velvet pearls running through Erik’s fingers as he bent down to touch it. He imagined just how delicious it would feel under his bare feet.

But the most astonishing sight of all was the lake that took up a large part of the cavern. The water shone and glowed, it shimmered with a multitude of ever-changing brilliant colours. The water seemed almost to speak, to call out to Erik with its siren song.

‘Welcome to my home,’ the dragon said with just a hint of pride in his voice. ‘The lake is enchanted, it is the source of my magic and its waters can do wondrous things.’

Erik looked around, amazed at everything that lay before him. The water looked so inviting, but he supposed that he would never be allowed to swim in a magic lake.

The dragon seemed to be able to read his expression. ‘Of course. You must be sweaty and sticky from carrying all that horrid chain mail about on your back. Let’s get you fresh and clean.’

Then, to Erik’s surprise, not to mention horror, he found himself standing suddenly naked before the dragon’s interested gaze, his clothes neatly folded up in a pile on the floor of the cave. But his inhibitions soon evaporated as he saw the dragon point to a patch of wall with one hooked claw and a powerful wall of water begin to cascade down the rocks.

‘Go, enjoy yourself, little one,’ he heard the dragon say with a smile.

Erik felt energised and revived standing under the foaming, flowing waters of the waterfall. He had never felt so refreshed, so clean, so pure in his entire life. He felt like he was being cleansed and renewed deep down in the marrow of his bones. Pushing the wet hair out of his eyes, he saw that the dragon had waded into the water of the lake and appeared to be washing and grooming himself.

Erik wanted to join the dragon, but he was unsure as to whether or not he was allowed to swim across the enchanted lake. He hesitated for a moment.

‘By all means,’ he heard the dragon say in his head, ‘you won’t do the lake any damage, the magic is far too strong and powerful for that. The water is deep enough for you to dive in from where you are. But be warned. You will be swimming through enchanted water and the magic will start to seep into your skin and bones. You might never be the same again.’

Erik thought for a moment, before deciding that it was a risk he was willing to take. He took one last deep breath before elegantly diving into the shimmering water.

Erik didn’t notice as he was preoccupied with the astonishing sensation of swimming in the enchanted lake, but the dragon was watching him with something akin to longing in his eyes, his eyes flashing through a spectrum of constantly changing colours as he watched Erik’s lithe but muscular body flowing through the water.

Erik reached the dragon and the two of them frolicked together, Erik swimming in circles round the dragon who was making waves with his forelegs and tail. Erik laughed happily each time one of the waves rolled over his body, twisting and turning in his personal dragon wave machine.

The dragon stopped playing for a moment, scratching absentmindedly at his back, trying to reach a spot that lay just out of his reach.

‘Can I help?’ asked Erik.

The dragon accepted his offer gratefully, sinking down into the water, letting Erik climb up on his foreleg and clamber onto his back.

Erik hadn’t known what he expected the dragon to feel like. His body was warm and solid and Erik could hear and feel the dragon breathing, he could hear and feel the strong, steady beating of the dragon’s huge heart. The dragon’s scales were strong and tough, but they also felt smooth, almost soft to the touch and somehow delicate under Erik’s fingers.

Erik splashed water over the back of the dragon’s neck. Small particles of sand were lodged between the dragon’s scales. They must have been irritating for the poor dragon, but he had been unable to dislodge them on his own. Erik began to massage the dragon’s hide, trying to tease out the trapped debris. The dragon seemed to like this and, once Erik was sure that he was completely clean, he gently scratched the back of the dragon’s neck and behind his ears.

He could hear the dragon’s breathing becoming louder, he could feel soft vibrations running through the dragon’s body, almost as if the dragon was purring in response to Erik’s touch. Erik could have spent much longer caressing the wonderful dragon, except for the fact that his stomach began to make loud rumbling noises.

‘Hmm, it sounds as if someone is hungry. Hop down little one.’

Erik obeyed, climbing out of the water. The dragon followed him, shaking himself dry, unfurling his massive wings as he did so. Erik gazed at the dragon in total awe. There was enough room in the cavern for the dragon to stretch himself out to his full height and breadth, wing tip to wing tip, and Erik could finally appreciate just how magnificent his new acquaintance truly was. But then the dragon somehow folded himself up again, obviously satisfied that he was clean and dry.

Erik, however, was still distinctly wet. He was considering asking the dragon if he could magic up a towel when he felt the dragon’s breath on his body. Warm, sweet air wafted over Erik, drying his hair and skin, sending shiver of something that Erik couldn’t quite yet put a name to coursing through him.

The dragon spoke again once he was dry, ‘You need something to eat, little one. The magic of the lake will give you whatever you want to eat. You just need to ask.’

Erik was suddenly struck dumb. He had no idea what to ask for.

‘Can’t you choose something for me, dragon?’

There was a moment’s silence, before he heard the dragon speak, ‘Goulash, mashed potato and braised red cabbage … That was my … what my … used to for me … back when … ’ The dragon stopped speaking.

Erik thought that it would be rude to press the dragon for an explanation as they had only just met. The meal smelled absolutely delicious. And it tasted every bit as delicious as it smelled. Erik could hear the happiness in the dragon’s voice as he summoned up a second helping for Erik.

It was only once he had finished eating that Erik realised that he was still naked after his bathing session with the dragon. Erik went to get dressed again, when the dragon stopped him.

‘No, not those hateful clothes, they don’t suit you one little bit.’

‘I don’t have anything else.’

‘Why can’t you just go about in your own skin? You look so lovely like that. You are perfect just the way you are.’

Erik felt his cheeks blush hot pink at the dragon’s compliment. ‘Um … thank you. But I feel more comfortable with something on.’

‘As you wish,’ replied the dragon and a short, buttercup-yellow tunic made from a silky soft fabric materialised on Erik’s body. It was skimpier than Erik would have liked and he momentarily considered asking the dragon for some underwear to go with it. But he had to admit that the material felt gorgeously sensuous against his bare skin.

Clean, warm and full, Erik started to yawn uncontrollably. It had been a long day.

‘You need to sleep, little one,’ he heard – or sensed – the dragon say. Erik was still getting used to having conversations in his head with a telepathic being. The dragon summoned up a bed for Erik and, after all the wonders that he had seen today, Erik was not as surprised as he should have been to see that the dragon was able to dim the lighting in the cavern.

The bed the dragon conjured up for him was the softest and most comfortable that Erik had ever slept in, with a mattress that hugged the contours of his body and pillows and coverlets filled with the cosiest down imaginable. But Erik still tossed and turned, unable to sleep despite being exhausted. So much had happened today, his mind was spinning. He was excited, but still he missed his family, his friends, his village.

He reached out tentatively with his mind, not sure of how to do this. ‘Dragon,’ he thought.

The answer came at once, ‘Yes, little one.’

‘I can’t sleep. I’m lonely. I miss my family. May I … ?’

The answer came warm and inviting in his mind, ‘Of course, little one. Bring your pillows and coverlet.’

Erik went over to where the dragon was lying down, carrying his bedding with him. The dragon opened his mighty forearms, inviting Erik to snuggle down between his claws. Then he curled his head and neck round Erik, enfolding him in a protective dragon hug. Erik sighed contentedly, held safe and warm in the dragon’s embrace as he drifted off into a dream-filled sleep.


	2. What dreams are made of

The dreams started that very first night. There was a man in Erik’s dreams. Naked of course, as was Erik. Tall and pale, with long, elegant limbs and a complex pattern of intricate markings on his left arm. His hair shone red and gold like the burnished scales of the dragon. His eyes sparkled as brilliantly as the dragon’s, a kaleidoscope of amber, gold and green.

That first night the man just held Erik safe and warm through the night. Erik felt no fear. He knew that the man would never hurt him, that he could trust him with his life. But the longer he stayed with the dragon, with every night he slept cradled between the dragon’s powerful claws, the more intense and vivid the dreams became. Erik started waking up every morning hard and aching with unfulfilled desire.

This went on for about two weeks until something changed, the man caressed him in his dream until Erik achieved the most perfect, blissful release imaginable. He woke up warm and cosy, feeling completely and utterly satisfied in every cell of his body. It gradually dawned on Erik that he had not just dreamed his release as he could feel the unmistakable traces of his pleasure drying against his stomach. He opened his eyes to find the dragon looking down at him, concern visible in his fascinating eyes.

‘I hope that was alright, little one. I would never touch you against your will. But your desire was causing you pain. I couldn’t bear to see you in discomfort.’

‘It was perfect,’ Erik smiled, as he snuggled between the dragon’s forearms. The dragon lowered his head to nuzzle the top of Erik’s head. Erik could almost imagine that the dragon was softly kissing his hair as he dozed off again.

The next night Erik returned the favour to the man in his dreams. And this time he woke feeling perfectly satisfied and contented once again, but now with an equally contented, loudly purring dragon curled up round him, with what was obviously the dragon equivalent of a blissed-out post-orgasmic expression plastered across his face.

After washing and breakfasting – the dragon conjured up a huge mound of pancakes with chocolate spread today as Erik was ravenous after his nocturnal activities – Erik was leaning comfortably against the dragon’s warm belly, a massive forearm curled round him. Erik caressed the dragon’s iridescent scales as he asked the questions he could no longer put off.

‘The man in the dreams. It is you isn’t it? I knew from the very first night. Do you just take human form in my dreams? Or … ?

The dragon seemed to sigh inside Erik’s head. ‘No, I was once human, just like you. Indeed exactly like you as I was sent to slay a dragon I really had no interest in killing. And I had even less interest in killing the dragon once I saw what an amazing, marvelous creature it was. It used its magic to transform me into a dragon. W-w-w-w-e … I suppose that you could say that we were mates.’

There was sadness in the dragon’s voice. Erik knew that he needed to hear the full story, but first there was something he had to ask.

‘So you could turn me into a dragon as well?’ asked Erik.

‘Yes, I could. The magic in the lake in the cavern is strong enough for that. But I could never do that to you, Erik.’

‘Not even if I asked you too?’

‘I would do anything for you. I would give you anything I could. You know that. But please, never ask me to do that.’

Erik turned round, cuddling up against the dragon’s belly, stroking across it as soothingly and as comfortingly as he could. He knew that this was difficult for the dragon.

‘We were out flying together one sunny winter morning. We strayed too close to a village by mistake. There was an archer. It was a fluke, a lucky shot that found a weak spot in my mate’s hide, piercing their heart. They were dead before they fell to the ground.

The pain of the loss was overwhelming. I was so grief stricken that I temporarily lost my reason. Driven mad by grief and pain, I flamed the whole village to ashes without even thinking. Most of the villagers were able to escape to safety, but not all of them. I left them enough gold to rebuild the village ten times over, but that doesn’t make amends. I can never, ever forgive myself for what I did. That is why I have vowed since that day never to harm a living thing, not even an insect if I can avoid it.

Usually dragons don’t long survive the loss of their mates. We find but one true love in our long lifetimes. Somehow I did survive, even though my heart felt ripped in two. I have been alone since then, for longer than a human lifetime. There were so many times when I wished that I had died with my mate until I … ’

The dragon stopped speaking in Erik’s head, overcome with emotion and the pain of the memory of his loss and subsequent loneliness.

Erik realised that the dragon was crying, huge crystal tears falling from his astonishing eyes. But they weren’t falling wet to the ground. Erik looked down to see that the dragon’s tears were transformed into lumps of amber, bars of gold and huge glittering emeralds as they fell to the floor of the cavern. The dragon was crying precious stones and metals in the myriad colours of his eyes. They were at one and the same time the most beautiful and the most heartbreaking thing that Erik had ever seen.

‘Your tears are your treasure?’ he asked in a shaky voice.

‘Yes, that is why a dragon’s treasure is so valuable. The tears of a dragon turn into the costliest and purest gems and the most precious of precious metals. But we rarely cry except from the deepest joy or the profoundest sorrow.’

Erik threw his arms round the dragon’s neck, holding on tight and pressing hot, urgent kisses against the dragon’s scales.

‘I will never leave you, my dragon. I promise.’

‘Marco. My name is Marco, my precious little one, my Erik,’ were the words Erik heard in his mind. 

***

Marco and Erik grew closer and closer over the weeks that followed. One hot, sunny afternoon found them sunbathing in the mouth of the cave, Erik nestled in the dragon’s strong arms and shaded from the burning rays of the sun by massive golden wings. Erik was naked. The dragon seemed to prefer him being naked. Erik had come to terms with that, he had even come to enjoy it and taking his clothes off voluntarily was a little more dignified than the dragon’s habit of magicking them off every time he was in the mood for a naked Erik. And the truth was that Marco was almost always in the mood for a naked Erik.

Erik felt warm, drowsy and relaxed and was about to drop off to sleep when he sensed something new. The dragon was touching him. The time they spent together in Erik’s dreams was erotic and arousing, but the dragon had never touched him when they were awake, not like this. This was different. Erik shivered as he felt a single, sharp talon running gently over his body, tracing the lines of his bones, his muscles, the curves of his body. This felt so indescribably good.

The dragon didn’t speak, but Erik could sense his thoughts and emotions in his head. The dragon was hiding nothing from him, there were no more barriers between them and he was letting Erik see deep into the raging abyss of emotions burning within him. Erik could feel overwhelming love, lust and desire, he could feel how much the dragon cherished, worshipped and adored him. This was intoxicating and Erik simply surrendered himself to the feeling, laying there soft and vulnerable in the dragon’s claws

The dragon’s talon moved lower, caressing Erik’s stomach, trailing across the sharp ridges of his hipbones, before ever so gently raking over the soft, delicate skin on the inside of his thighs. Erik was moaning softly by now, his legs falling open, offering himself to the fiery golden beast who held him so tenderly in his grasp.

He was longing for the dragon to touch him where he so desperately needed to feel his touch, where Erik was hard, aching and needy. Erik felt like he was on fire, his blood boiling like molten dragon fire, by the time the dragon ran his talon over the part of Erik’s body that was both soft and hard at the same time, where the skin was like the softest satin stretched over the hardest steel and so very, very sensitive.

Erik needed release so badly. He felt like he would be consumed by the inferno raging within him if he couldn’t find release. But how? And then he felt something else new. He felt the dragon’s tongue licking over him. It felt a bit like being licked by an extremely large kitten. Not unpleasant. Warm, wet and slightly rough. But then he realised with a shudder of intense pleasure just how skilled, supple and agile the dragon’s long, forked tongue was.

Erik moaned loudly as the dragon’s tongue caressed and stimulated his nipples. His moans became louder when he felt a warm, wet tongue licking broad stripes up his thighs. But none of this prepared him for just how good it would feel when the dragon wound his tongue round Erik’s proud manhood.

Erik leaned back in the dragon’s arms, feeling the soft warmth of scales against his bare skin as he arched his back over the strong claws that so lovingly held him safely and securely, his head thrown back to let him voice all of the incredible pleasure he was feeling, keeping nothing inside.

His mind and body were open to his dragon, naked in every sense of the word as he gave himself over completely to his lover. As his world shattered into a million sparkling shards of fiery diamonds, all he could hear was one sentence repeated powerfully over and over again in his mind, ‘I love you little one. I love you little one.’

It took long minutes of lying there in blissed-out ecstasy before Erik returned to full consciousness, before his world stopped spinning and a myriad of stars ceased exploding in his mind. He looked up at the dragon, sure that the smile on his lips and the joy on his face would let the dragon know that he loved him too and that this had been the most amazing experience of Erik’s life. The dragon was looking down at him with love shining out of those amazing eyes, but there was also a particularly smug and self-satisfied expression on his face, even by the dragon’s normal standards.

It slowly dawned on Erik that he didn’t feel wet and sticky like he should. Moreover he could feel a smooth, heavy weight on his abdomen. He looked down to see a dozen perfect white lustrous pearls shining against the skin of his stomach, instead of what he would normally expect to find there after being so completely satisfied by the dragon.

‘Is that what I think it is?‘ he asked in wonder.

‘Yes. They are so beautiful, so very beautiful. Almost as beautiful as you,’ said the awestruck dragon. ‘I didn’t want to make you cry. I couldn’t bear to make you sad. But these are just perfect.’

The dragon swept eleven of the pearls into a velvet bag that he magicked out of thin air, carefully closing it to keep the precious contents safe. But he kept the twelfth, the biggest, shiniest and most beautiful of them all. He thought for a moment, before summoning up a simple gold chain on which to hang the pearl.

‘Will you put it round my neck for me, Erik?’ he asked.

Erik did so with trembling hands. There was a flash of blue light as he closed the fastening on the golden chain. He looked at the dragon with a question in his eyes.

‘This chain is sealed by the most powerful magic of all now, by love. It can never be taken from my neck as long as you live, as long as our bond remains intact. I am yours for as long as you want me to be, my beloved Erik.’

Erik couldn’t speak, but flung his arms round his dragon’s neck, burying his face against the golden scales as tears of happiness streamed down his face.

***

Marco and Erik lived safe and content in the dragon’s lair. They had everything they needed here. But the dragon said that Erik needed fresh air and exercise, that he was human and needed to feel sunlight on his skin. So, after they had been together for a few weeks, he began to send Erik out to explore the hills and the forests of the stark but stunningly beautiful landscape that the dragon had made his home. Erik loved hiking in the forest, clambering up the hills that turned into sheer outcrops of stunning pink and peach coloured rock formations. But he was always happiest when he returned to the cavern, to his beloved dragon.

The dragon too needed exercise, needed to stretch his wings and fly. He avoided flying in daylight nowadays and tried to stay away from where humans lived. This wasn’t just for his own safety as the dragon hated the thought of perhaps frightening some poor villager by accident.

The dragon had got into the habit of flying at nightfall, just before settling down for the evening. He had neglected this for the first few weeks that Erik was with him. This wasn’t because he feared that Erik would try to escape. At first he hadn’t wanted to leave Erik all alone in a strange and new environment and then their nights together had become too special and too precious for the dragon to want to leave Erik’s side.

But the dragon knew that he was risking weakening his muscles with the lack of exercise, above all he feared that he was risking the atrophy of his wings. So finally he had to raise the question with Erik.

Erik worried at his lower lip for a moment before answering, ‘Of course, Marco. You must do whatever you need to do to be healthy and strong. But … well if it isn’t offensive … I know that you aren’t a beast of burden but a mighty dragon … but is there a way that I can come with you? Fly with you? On your back?’

Erik was nervous, worried that he had offended his dragon. But Marco’s eyes flashed with delight and a loud purr of happiness erupted from his throat. ‘Can we go tonight?’ he asked excitedly.

The dragon conjured up a flying harness to keep Erik safe on his back. And Erik was relieved that Marco saw the necessity for Erik to wear clothing, even warm, comfy clothing, when he was flying high in the sky on a dragon’s back.

‘Ready?’ asked Marco as they prepared for their first flight, ‘Hold on tight.’

The dragon leapt into the starlit sky, his incredibly powerful hind legs propelling him into the air. The adrenalin flooded through Erik’s body. The exhilaration was immense. But then the dragon unfurled his mighty wings, soaring upwards before gliding gracefully over the hills and treetops of the forest. The wind rushed through Erik’s hair, he felt wild and free and totally at one with his beloved, astonishing dragon as they flew through the night.

Every nerve in Erik’s body was singing with the thrill of dragon flight as they landed in front of the dragon’s lair, the place he was coming to think of as his home. He climbed down, trembling with the sheer excitement of flying with his dragon.

The dragon nosed against him, ‘Did you enjoy that? I hope you did. And your cheeks are that delicious shade of pink that I love to see on you so much.’

Erik looked at him, his eyes shining, ‘Oh yes, I can’t wait to do it again. I love flying. I loved flying with you. And I understand more now. I saw … no I felt … a tiny bit of what it means to be a dragon. You were human once, but you love being a dragon, don’t you.’

‘Yes, little one. Being a dragon is what I am with every atom of my being. But I love you too, so very much.’ And the dragon placed a soft dragon kiss against Erik’s hair.

‘I love you too, Marco. My dragon.’ And with that Erik stood up on tiptoe to kiss the dragon on the very tip of his nose.

The dragon bent his head down to Erik and they stood there for a long while, enjoying the moment pressed nose to nose, man and dragon united in love and harmony under the pale light of the moon.


	3. The truth about dragons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally I wanted to have Erik and Marco's fairytale ending and the real 'happy ending' in the same chapter, but it was just getting too long. So there will be one more chapter after this. And maybe dragons aren't quite so fluffy after all!

The months flew past and Marco and Erik lived happily together in the cavern with the enchanted lake on the top of the hill. Life was blissfully perfect, their days spent happily together unless Erik went walking and climbing in the forest.

Erik had accustomed himself to spending the most part of his days naked since it made the dragon happy. He had come to understand that it was just that the dragon enjoyed seeing him naked – for it had to be said that he did – but that somehow it brought them closer together, dragon hide cuddled up against human skin with nothing coming between them.

They bathed together in the lake every day and Erik loved swimming in its magical waters or drenching himself in the waterfall that the dragon summoned up for him. The dragon gleamed even brighter now with Erik to help him clean and groom all those hard to reach places. And after every bath time Erik scratched and petted his dragon. The dragon begged to be scratched behind what Erik had at first thought were his ears but now knew to be his horns. He adored it when Erik stroked his eye ridges or kissed his nose. And when Erik scratched his belly or under his chin, the dragon purred so loudly that the waters of the enchanted lake rippled with the vibrations.

They flew together almost every evening, gliding and soaring above the forest under moonlight and starlight. The dragon was even more magnificent in flight than he was on the ground, his strength, power and grace taking Erik’s breath away anew each and every time. And every night Erik slept snuggled up between the dragon’s claws, a happily purring dragon wrapped round him.

Erik slept soundly in the dragon’s arms, more soundly that he had ever slept before, and he awoke refreshed and rested every morning. But his dreams were intense and so very vivid and he could remember every single detail when he awoke. And when he looked in the dragon’s wonderful eyes, he could see that it was exactly the same for him.

They spent every night together with Marco in his human form: kissing, holding each other, stroking each other. Much of the time they simply slept in one another’s arms in their dreams. But many of their dream encounters were more intense, more arousing, more satisfying, and they woke happy and contented, with the physical manifestations of their dream lovemaking evident on their bodies.

Erik whiled away a few idle hours wondering if he loved Marco as a man or a dragon, if he felt so safe and so happy every night because he slept in the arms of the dragon on the floor of the cavern or in the arms of the human in his dreams. But then he began to realise that it didn’t matter. He loved Marco. He loved Marco no matter what form he took. It was just that there were certain attractions and benefits to Marco manifesting either as a dragon or as a man.

Erik loved to trace the intricate patterns that entwined themselves round Marco’s left arm in their dreams. He had asked the dragon about them and learned that they represented the things that were important in his life.

Markings began to appear on Erik’s right arm during their night dreaming and over time they became more and more visible on his skin during the hours of daylight. The dragon said that this was deep magic arising from their dream encounters. Dream magic was powerful in itself and they lived in one of the most enchanted places in the whole land. Thus the things that were most important to Erik were becoming permanently etched into his skin.

The markings brought Erik both joy and sorrow. They were a permanent reminder of everything that was precious to Erik apart from the dragon, which meant that they were also a reminder of just how much he missed his family, his friends and his village. He had expected never to see any of them again when he had said goodbye, he had expected to perish on this pointless quest to slay the dragon.

But now that he had survived, he couldn’t help missing the people he loved and cared about. And he longed for his parents and sister to be able to meet Marco, to understand how special and how wonderful the dragon was and how much they loved each other, to understand why Erik had to spend the rest of his life here with the dragon. He knew that this would be hard for them to accept, but he hoped if that they could only see how happy he was, if they could see the expression in Marco's eyes as he looked at Erik, if they could see just how loving and tender the dragon was with him, then maybe, just maybe, they could accept that their love was real.

He knew that he had to let months, maybe years, pass before he could return to his village without endangering them, enough time for the king to forget all about the simple village boy who had been sent on a pointless quest to slay a dragon. And he had to protect Marco. Erik couldn’t bear the thought of him being the one who put the dragon in harm’s way. But Erik and Marco spoke about this often, discussing the possibilities for Erik to be able to see his family again.

The dragon always changed the subject when Erik asked about becoming a dragon himself until, one night as they were settling down to sleep, Erik finally raised the question he had been avoiding for months.

'You are immortal, Marco. I am only human. I will grow old and die, leaving you alone again if you don't transform me into a dragon.'

Marco sighed to himself. It was finally time to tell Erik the whole truth. He hadn't been trying to hide anything from Erik, just give him the time he needed to adapt to this strange new life and be able to make these decisions with a clear head and an open mind. But clearly the time had now come.

'No you won't, Erik. As long as you live here with me, as long as you bathe in the enchanted lake every day, you will hardly age and not die, not until you have lived your allotted mortal lifespan of three score years and ten. When you reach your seventieth year, it will be your decision and yours alone. You can die here in my arms and all the magic that is in you will ebb away into the cavern or you can choose to be transformed into a dragon. I will not do it before then, no matter how much you beg me to.

I won't take away your natural human lifespan. I won't deny you the chance to spend the time that you should have had with your family and friends. And we can enjoy this time together. I like having you around all pink and soft and naked, sleeping in my arms, cleaning my scales and scratching me behind my horns. I don't want to give that up just yet.'

Erik had to smile. The dragon had a point. 'Was that what happened to you, Marco?'

'Yes, I lived happily with my mate in human form for forty-three years and then they gave me the same choice. I loved my mate with all my heart and would have spent eternity with them, but I wanted to become a dragon more than anything.'

Erik bit his lower lip, slightly embarrassed at what he wanted to know. 'When I am a dragon too, will we still be able to ... well to do stuff ... in human form in dreams I mean?'

'Of course.'

The next question was even harder for Erik and he could feel his cheeks flaming pink as he spoke, 'And in dragon form? Can we ... ? Will we ... ?'

'Look at me,' demanded the dragon.

Erik did so and saw that the dragon's eyes were burning brighter than he had ever seen them, swirling in a multitude of shifting shades of brilliant green, gold and amber.

'Oh yes. And when we mate in dragon form it will be the most glorious, all-consuming, indescribable ecstasy imaginable. We will burn together in perfect union like an exploding sun. I cannot tell you how much I want to experience that with you, my beloved little one. But I can wait. And I assure you it will be worth the wait, every single minute of it.'

Erik swallowed. That sounded ... well that sounded kind of immense. He knew what it felt like on the rare occasions when the dragon pleasured him during waking hours, when stars exploded in his head and his world spun, and if that was just a tiny foretaste of what it would be like to be together with Marco in dragon form he wanted it so badly, but he was also kind of glad that he had time to get used to the idea.

In fact, Erik began to understand that the dragon was right. That Erik was actually relieved that he didn't have to say goodbye to the people he loved too soon, that he had time to enjoy his mortal body and to prepare himself for an immortal life with his dragon lover. Put like that, waiting for just short of half a century seemed really quite sensible.

But what the dragon said next really shocked Erik. 'I can't wait for you to meet my friends as soon as you are a dragon yourself. They are going to love you, I promise. We are going to have such fun together.'

'F-f-f-f-f-riends,' stuttered Erik, 'You have friends? Somehow I thought you were alone.'

'No Erik. I am only lonely because I have no mate. Because I have no one to share my heart with. But you will need to meet my dragon bro and his mate. They are so very different from each other, but they fit together perfectly. And you will adore Marc. He lives in Catalonia with his mate and their daughter and he is the most beautiful, kind, loving dragon you could ever meet.

The people of that kingdom kept trying to sacrifice virgins to him. He sent them all to a better place, one where people didn't think that offering your daughters to what you believed to be a ravening beast was a good idea. Some he kept around for a bit, the more adventurous ones. And then one day a maiden arrived at his lair and it was love at first sight, just like when I saw you for the first time.'

The dragon harrumphed, suddenly amused, 'Hmmm it seems like the humans aren't the only ones using dragon slaying to select suitable marriage partners. I suppose that I was auditioning knights to find suitable mate material for years until you came along.'

Erik's head was spinning now and he was struggling to keep up with the conversation, 'So you aren't the only dragon?'

'Oh no. I am the only dragon in this kingdom of course, but most kingdoms have their own dragons. We are rather large, demanding beasts used to getting our own way and don't live well alongside other dragons except for our mates, but we meet up regularly and I can hear my friends speak in my mind if we want to. It is not as strong as the bond with you will be, but it is strong enough.'

Marco's voice was sad again, 'Our friends heard my mate die. They heard my pain. They came to me, believing that I would die of a broken heart and not wanting me to be alone. And when against all the odds I survived, they stayed with me though all the suffering and the madness. One of them was always with me. They saved my sanity, of that I am totally sure.'

'Were all dragons once humans?' asked Erik.

'Many of them, but not all. Dragons are quasi-immortal but we can die and, after millennia on the earth, some of us choose to dissolve back into the magic, living on in spirit. So new dragons are created, albeit not very often. And of course there are dragon babies, but most pairs only have one in a lifetime.'

'D-d-d-d-d-ragon babies!' Erik knew his next question was probably stupid, but he had to ask it anyway, 'Can we ... can we ... have a baby dragon of our own? Even though we will both be boy dragons I mean.'

'Oh yes,' and the dragon's eyes were swirling with sparkling lights as he said this, 'we wouldn't let a little thing like that stop us. But I warn you, bringing up a baby dragon can be very hard work and extremely demanding.'

'I suppose I had better learn quickly and become a good dragon then, if we are to be become dragon parents.'

The dragon nosed gently at him, 'You will be a perfect dragon, little one. I am sure of that.'

Erik smiled, 'Everyone thinks that dragons are dangerous, but they're not.'

To his shock he heard the dragon actually growl, could see tendrils of smoke waft from his nostrils and his eyes blaze with fire. 'Never make that mistake, Erik. We are the most powerful and dangerous predators walking this earth. I could destroy an entire village in a heartbeat. I could snap your neck right now and kill you with no effort at all.'

'But you wouldn't?'

'No I wouldn't. I have control over myself. But some dragons don't. They are driven mad by the power, by the magic in them. Those terrible stories you hear of dragons terrorising villages or whole kingdoms are true. But those dragons are not killed by knights. We deal with our own, with rogue dragons. But that is a terrible thing to have to do.'

Erik could hear that the dragon's voice was haunted by terrible memories as he continued to speak.

'We dragons have powerful instincts to protect our lairs, our families, our kind. That is why I was forgiven for destroying the village after my mate was killed. That and the fact that I was filled with remorse. If not, if the madness had permanently consumed me, my friends would have had to end my life to protect the world from me.'

Erik dimly began to realise something. 'This waiting. That isn't just for me, is it? It is also for you. You need to be sure.'

'Yes little one. It is a terrible responsibility. I will be turning you into a creature of great power, with immense potential for destruction. I need to be sure that your heart is true and that you are strong enough to bear this. If it went wrong ... I would ... I would need to kill you. That would be my duty even though it would quite literally break my heart.

And there is something more. Once you are a dragon, you will be able to channel the magic from the enchanted lake yourself. You need time to prepare for that, to get used to the magic being in your body. Living here with me in the cavern, letting the magic seep into your bones will help.'

'That was why you warned me about swimming in the lake, wasn't it?'

'Yes, that was the very first step. The process is reversible and will be until you reach your seventieth year, but the journey has begun. And Erik, the transformation will be the most exhilarating and thrilling thing that has ever happened to you, you will feel such power and strength flowing in you, but it will be difficult, almost too much for you to bear at first. Everything will feel new and strange. But you do not need to fear. I will be with you and I will help you through it.'

Erik couldn't exactly say that he was reassured, but he was excited and nothing he had heard had changed his mind, although he still had one last concern.

'What if something happens to me before you turn me into a dragon?'

But the dragon had thought of everything. A chain was dangling from his talon, a chain set with dozens of perfect, beautiful, tiny gemstones. 'Wear this everytime you leave the cavern, Erik. No harm can come to you then. I promise you.'

'Are those ...?' Erik was suddenly afraid to ask the question, afraid to intrude on something precious and sacred.

'Yes,' answered the dragon, a mixture of sadness and happiness audible in his voice, 'These are from my mate. Tears of joy. Tears of joy from the first time we confessed our love for one another. They would be happy to know that they are protecting you now. They would have approved of you, I think.'

Erik didn't say anything, there were no words in his spoken language adequate to express how he felt. So he simply flung his arms around his dragon, letting his tears of intermingled sorrow and joy flood over the dragon's scales.

The dragon rolled back slightly, leaning against the wall of the cavern. Erik was now lying on his front on Marco's belly, warm skin pressed against dragon hide. The dragon did something he had never done before. Erik had slept in Marco's arms, held close in the dragon's claws, so many times, but now the dragon folded his wings around Erik, enfolding him in a gossamer embrace of strength and gentleness.

Erik felt himself being lulled off to sleep. There was no need for pillows or coverlets lying here warm and cosy against his dragon. But there was one thing still worrying him.

'Your mate must have been magnificent, Marco.'

'Yes they were, truly magnificent.' Erik could hear the longing in Marco's voice.

'I've seen you in human form and I can understand why you turned into such a wonderful dragon. But what if ... what if ... I am just an ordinary looking dragon and you don't want me any more?' Erik felt stupid even saying this, but he had to.

'You will be a wonderful dragon, Erik. You will be you as a dragon and you will be amazing and special, I am certain of that. But it doesn't matter. I love you. I love you as a human. And I will love you as a dragon, no matter what you look like.'

Erik was reassured by this and snuggled down against Marco. He heard the dragon's voice in his head one last time in waking hours and realised that the dragon wanted to ask him this while he was still conscious.

'Will you give yourself to me, Erik? Will you let me make you completely mine tonight?'

'Yes,' breathed Erik softly, before drifting off into their dreamworld.

Their dream encounter that night was the most passionate, most vivid and most loving of any night they had spent together thus far. Erik gave his body to his dragon, gave him the one thing there was left to give while he was still in human form, and Marco accepted this gift with the utmost care, love and reverence.

Erik woke satisfied and happy, if a little bit stiff and slightly tender. He smiled to himself. He wasn't a knight. He supposed he wasn't a virgin anymore. But he was going to be a dragon, which he regarded as far superior. He stretched happily before snuggling back down to sleep on top of his purring dragon. He had found the love of his life. He could live out his mortal life span. He could see his friends and family again. And then he could live an immortal life with Marco in dragon form. Sometimes fairytales really could become real.

 


	4. The fairytale is shattered ... or is it? ... and is this what really happened?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a possible 'happy ending' for this story, the ending I originally planned, and the one the fairytale genre typically demands. But it is up to you to decide if this is the 'real' happy ending for Erik and Marco. And you can find out what I think in the endnotes.

Alas all of their careful planning was overtaken by events. They had no idea how it happened, perhaps a traveller or trader had seen Erik walking in the dragon’s forest. Perhaps they had flown too close to a human settlement on a night when the light of the moon had shone too brightly upon them. But somehow the rumour that Erik was still alive had reached his village and, being the good people that they were, a rescue party was dispatched to try to bring him home.

Erik and Marco were dozing together on the warm sand of the cavern, Erik leaning comfortably against the dragon’s belly with his head cushioned on a foreleg.

Suddenly the dragon sat up. ‘People, I sense people. Lots of them.’

They rushed to the waters of the enchanted lake, looking anxiously into its waters to see what was going on.

‘Oh,’ exclaimed Erik, ‘I know those people. They’re from my village. There’s my mother and father. My sister is with them too. But the men look angry. And some of them are quite heavily armed … ’

He looked at the dragon with a worried expression.

‘Don’t worry, little one. Everything will be alright.’

They walked together to the mouth of the dragon’s lair; the villagers hadn’t yet reached them.

Erik laid his hand on the dragon’s foreleg. ‘Wait here for me, Marco. I will go and speak with them. I will try and explain.’ And with that Erik walked out into the daylight to talk to his people.

Marco waited impatiently for him to return, shifting his weight from one mighty forepaw to another. The discussions didn’t seem to be going well. The villagers seemed angry and distressed, unwilling to believe that Erik was here because he wanted to be, that the dragon wasn’t keeping him prisoner. The mood was turning uglier. And then a group of heavily armed villagers set off towards his lair.

Marco didn’t know what to do. He had never been afraid that a knight could do him any real harm, but forty angry villagers trying to rescue one of their own was a very different proposition. There was no way that the dragon was willing to contemplate injuring a hair on the head of any of Erik’s friends or family. But nor could he magic them away to the island. And the villagers were between him and Erik.

Marco could feel his dragon instincts begin to rise within him, the drive to protect his lair and his mate from harm. He was fighting the instinct to char the villagers to a crisp, an instinct that got stronger and stronger with every step they took closer to where he stood. And then Marco began to feel guilty, guilty that he had torn Erik away from everything that he knew and loved to spend eternity here with a lonely dragon.

So he took a decision, a decision taken in the heat of the moment out of guilt and the terrible, awful fear of hurting another living being again, even worse of hurting someone whom Erik cared about. He retreated into his lair and collapsed the mouth of the passage, shutting himself in behind a ten metre thick rock fall with Erik and the angry villagers on the other side.

Imprisoned behind the thick wall of rock, what Marco couldn’t see or hear was Erik throwing himself at the fallen rocks, crying and screaming, calling for his dragon, for his Marco. What he couldn’t see was Erik trying to move the massive rocks by hand, working without ceasing until his hands were red, raw and bleeding, until he was so weak and exhausted that he fell down senseless.

Erik’s family and friends, who had been terrified by Erik’s apparent madness but stayed by his side, took the opportunity to carry him away, fearing that he had lost his reason forever.

***

The dragon retreated sorrowfully into his cavern, crying huge tears until he was surrounded by mounds of precious gems that meant nothing to him. Marco had lost the only thing that meant anything to him anymore. But Erik, his family and his village were safe and that was all that mattered. He hoped that Erik would move on and forget him, find love and lead a long and happy life.

Marco both longed for and dreaded the day when the magic holding the chain round his neck failed and the pearl that was the very essence of Erik fell to the ground. That would mean that Erik had moved on and forgotten his dragon. The thought of that happening tore at Marco’s heart. But he had to want that for Erik, he had to want him to be happy. He couldn’t wish the heartache and loneliness that he was now forever doomed to suffer on the man he loved.

Days passed before Marco could face unblocking the mouth of his lair, having first checked that no humans were lurking outside. Weeks passed before Marco found the strength to venture outside, before he found the heart to fly again. He took no joy in flight anymore, not without Erik. First he had lost his dragon mate and now he had lost Erik. That was too much for a heart to bear.

Only one thing kept Marco going. Only one thing kept him from simply lying down on the floor of the cavern and letting himself die of a broken heart. That was the tiny, lingering fear that Erik would not survive his death. Marco had come to suspect that Erik was indeed his one true love and maybe, just maybe, he was Erik’s as well.

Erik was human, but he had spent a long time in the cavern with Marco, in an environment in which every rock, every grain of sand, every drop of water was imbued with dragon magic. He had known and loved Marco as both human and dragon. They had spent every night together in their dreams. That was powerful bonding magic. So the dragon was unwilling to take the risk that the bond between them was strong enough that Erik could not survive without him _if_ he was indeed Erik’s one true love.

The weeks and months passed, the chain stayed firmly clasped round Marco’s neck, but the pearl lost its lustre, then began to turn dull and grey. Marco had to know if Erik was alright, he needed to see him, even if it hurt more than he could bear.

Erik was far away by now, but he still had a link to him. He took the other eleven pearls from the velvet pouch where he had kept them safe and dropped them one by one into the water of the enchanted lake. They fizzed slightly, before the waters cleared to reveal a vision of Erik.

But what he saw was worse than the dragon could ever have imagined. Erik was lying in bed, pale, sick and thin. His beautiful eyes had lost their sparkle. He was slipping away from them and would not be long for this world.

Racked with guilt and pain, Marco realised that he had made a fatal mistake. Erik had lived too long with magic, Marco had filled him with it and bathed him in it every day they had been together. And then all that had suddenly been taken away. The withdrawal was too much and Erik was failing.

And Erik hadn't even been wearing his gemstone necklace on that fateful day. Of course not. He had been with his dragon, secure in the belief that nothing could happen to him when he was with Marco. But Marco should have thought, he should have made him put it on before leaving the cavern.

Marco couldn’t let this happen. He could not be responsible for Erik’s death, not in the way he still felt to blame for the death of his mate. There was something that might just work and he had to try. So Marco filled a sack with gold and emeralds – he would never be coming back to the cavern that had been his home for centuries no matter what happened – and set off for Erik’s village. He took the gemstone necklace as well, as a last precious reminder of the lost mate whom he was now turning his back on forever.

Marco had stood at the edge of the cavern for a long while before leaving, sunk deep in contemplation. Finally he steeled himself to leave.

'Farewell' he thought for one final time. 'You know that I have to do this.'

As he turned away with a tear in his eye, the answer came like the wind rushing through the cave. 'I know. You go with my blessing. But always remember that I will love you until the end of time, for eternity and a day.'

***

Marco travelled for a day and a night, never pausing to rest. What he had seen in the enchanted lake told him that there was little time to waste. And his fears were confirmed when he knocked on the door of the cottage Erik’s family lived in. Erik’s mother answered the door, her face lined with grief and her eyes full of tears. For a terrible moment Marco thought he might be too late.

‘Is he … ?’ he asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.

‘No,’ she sobbed in response, ‘but it won’t be long now.’

‘Please let me try to help him. You don’t know me, but maybe I can save him. We have nothing left to lose.’

Erik’s mother was desperate enough to try anything by now and there was something about the young man standing before her that made her decide to trust him.

Erik opened his eyes as Marco entered his sickroom. ‘You came,’ he said, his voice almost too quiet to be heard. ‘Thank you. Seeing you again one last time before I die was my remaining wish. I can die contented now, with you by my side.’

Marco fell to his knees by Erik’s bedside, stroking his hair as he had done so many times in their dreams in happier times, ‘Shhhh, don’t speak like that. I am here to save you.’

Erik smiled weakly at him. ‘I fear that it may be too late for that, Marco.’

But there was one last thing Marco could try. The deepest, oldest, strongest magic of all, the profoundest magic known to man or wizard, dragons, dwarves or elves. Nothing was stronger or more potent. The only problem was that Marco had no idea if it would work, although he hoped that he finally knew the reason why he had been able to survive the loss of his dragon mate.

He leaned forward, willing it to work, summoning every scrap of magic left in him as he touched his lips to Erik’s. True love’s kiss, it had to work, it just had to work.

And the miracle was that it did. Erik’s cold, bloodless lips bloomed warm and pink again, the colour came back into his cheeks and the spark of life was once more to be seen in his eyes. The pearl round Marco’s neck glowed white once more and Marco breathed a deep sigh of relief.

Erik looked up at him, true love shining out of his eyes. ‘You can’t go back, can you? You’ll never be able to be a dragon again. Never see your home again? Yours friends? Never be able to fly again? All because of me,’ he asked.

‘No, I can’t,’ was Marco’s honest response. ‘There is not enough magic left in me for that and I can’t draw magic from the enchanted lake when I am in human form. But it was worth it. I had to try to save you. In any case, I don’t know if I would have been able to survive your death as it seems that you are my one true love.’

Marco was silent for a moment before asking the question he so desperately hoped he already knew the answer to but still needed to ask, ‘Can you still love me if I am merely a human? Can you love me without the glamour of the powerful magic flowing through me?’

Erik sighed. ‘You know that I would have happily stayed with you as a dragon throughout all eternity, don’t you?’

Marco nodded, stroking Erik’s face and hair.

Erik continued to speak, soothed by Marco’s touch, ‘I was on a quest I never wanted to be on to slay a dragon and win a princess, but instead I found my handsome prince and my one true love.

And it didn’t matter to me one little bit when my true love turned out to be a dragon. Nor does it matter to me that you are human again now. I love you. I loved you as a dragon and I will love you as a man. It doesn’t matter if you are a dragon or human. I love you. That’s all that matters.’

Marco had never felt happier in his entire life and his heart almost broke with sheer joy as he leaned forward to kiss Erik for the first time as his human mate. They had kissed in their dreams countless times before, but this was their first kiss in human form while waking.

Marco’s tears of happiness fell as pure drops of moisture this time, except for one single, unique sphere of jewel-like perfection that was exactly the same perfect shade of hazel-green as Erik’s eyes.

***

It goes without saying that Marco and Erik lived happily ever after. Well actually it doesn't. The first weeks, months and even years were hard. Marco had lived for centuries as a dragon and the wrench of returning to human form was almost too much for him to bear. His body cried out for the magic of the enchanted lake. His head felt empty now that he could no longer hear Erik or the thoughts of his friends, friends he had known for centuries in some cases, friends who had saved his life, and who he might never be able to see again.

And, even though he loved Erik with all his heart, Marco had to mourn the loss of his life as a dragon. Above all he had lost the precious connection to his dragon mate. When Marco had chosen to leave the the cavern and give up his dragon form, he had lost everything that still kept him close to the dragon who had been at his side for so long. All that was left were memories. All that was left was the emptiness of loss, of knowing that there had been something important there that had gone and could never be brought back again.

There were terrible nights when Erik feared that he would lose Marco, as Marco tossed and turned in restless fever, his body contorted in pain and the agony of loss. But Erik stayed by Marco's side. Marco had given up everything to save him and now it was up to Erik to try and save Marco. So Erik stayed with him day and night, never leaving Marco alone, holding him, sponging the sweat from his body, trying to pour every last drop of love he felt deep into Marco's soul.

Then came the terrible night when Erik feared that they would have to say goodbye to one another. Given what he knew now, Erik doubted that he could survive Marco's death if Marco died in human form. But that wasn't what mattered to him. All that mattered was saving Marco by any means possible. Desperate and exhausted, his head lying on Marco's chest listening to his painful, laboured breathing, Erik saw something glinting on the table beside the bed. It was the gemstone necklace, the tears of joy of Marco's dragon mate.

Erik had an idea. It was perhaps a crazy idea, but Erik would try anything right now. He took the necklace and tenderly placed it round Marco's neck, instinctively nestling the pearl that Marco still wore against the glittering jewels. And then he waited, almost holding his breath. At first Erik thought he was imagining things, that he was hearing what he longed to hear. But Marco's breathing really did sound easier. Then the fever broke. And Erik's heart leapt with joy within him when Marco finally opened his eyes and he could see the clarity of Marco's return to sanity there.

It took time, a long time in fact, but eventually Marco began to heal enough so that they could begin to live happily ever after. It helped that Erik understood, that he mourned too. Mourned the life he would never have as a dragon, that he would never be able to fly with Marco, that he would never experience what it would be like to be with him in dragon form. And above all he mourned the child that they would never have. But they had each other. They were luckier than most. And they would make the best of the life that they had been given.

They had the eternal magic of true love to keep them happy, but a sack full of gold and emeralds came in extremely handy as well. They were able to build themselves a fairytale castle to live in for the rest of their days. Of course they missed flying together, but instead they sat snuggled close in each other's arms night after night at the top of the highest turret in their castle to gaze at the night sky. And they built a vast underground swimming pool that reminded them of the cavern. And there was plenty of room for Erik’s friends and family when they came to visit.

There may have been the odd disagreement or misunderstanding, but nothing really worth speaking of. Marco was no longer able to magic Erik naked so he had to learn how to persuade Erik to take his clothes off for him, but Erik usually gave in, even if he enjoyed making Marco work hard for the privilege.

The rest of their days proved to be a very long time indeed as there proved to be enough magic left in their bodies for both of them to be able to live a lifespan the length of several mortal lives in perfect love, bliss and harmony.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realised writing this just how humanocentric fairytales are. While many aim to teach us to accept others and not to judge by appearances, in the end they tend to fall back - perhaps completely understandably - on the desire for the 'other' to actually be just like us. But is the happiest ending really Marco becoming human? Well if I had been the Disney Belle in 'Beauty and the Beast' I would definitely have been saying 'I'm glad the curse is broken, but can I please have my big, furry beast back instead of this boring handsome prince?'
> 
> So there will be another version of what happens after chapter three, one in which Marco and Erik live happily ever after as dragons and take their baby dragon to meet their friends, especially Marco's best friends Pierre and Mario and their mates. I know exactly what Erik looks like as a dragon and what their son looks like (he even has a name!) Their dragon clan is of course the BVB team, but there are many other dragon clans and they all live together more or less peacefully and even intermarry. It will be cute, but not necessarily fluffy as dragons aren't truly fluffy!
> 
> I originally had nobody in mind for Marco's lost dragon mate as it would have been too painful to write. As the story went on of course I developed a very clear picture of who he was but, as I had said that I had no one in mind, I deliberately didn't include any details that would give away who he was. But when I write the alternative ending sequel, I might just make it obvious.
> 
> Erik and Marco live in the Pfälzer Wald, which is exactly the kind of place you would expect to find dragons. Erik's village is of course Pirmasens, which was only a village until modern times (around 250 people lived there in 1600). The dragon's lair is on a rocky outcrop of hill not far from Burg Lindelbrunn. The underlying rock formation of the Pfälzer Wald is the most wonderful, astonishing coloured sandstone. The real Erik's home country is very beautiful indeed.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [The Dragon Of Castle Trifels](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10022060) by [Blue_Night](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blue_Night/pseuds/Blue_Night)




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